The prior art is replete with numerous examples of various floor cleaning apparatuses of various designs and which are utilized to clean either hard flooring surfaces, or various forms of carpeting, but not both.
As a general matter, most of these devices have very similar design features. These include, among others, a fluid dispensing tank which typically holds a source of fluid, and chemical to be dispensed on the flooring surface to be cleaned, a pump which removes the fluid from the fluid dispensing tank, and which delivers it to an applicator, and an electrically actuated vacuum pump which is operable to create a vacuum at the applicator end, and which is operable to remove the previously applied fluid from the dispensing tank, and deliver it back into a fluid recovery tank. Once the fluid is dispensed completely from the fluid dispensing tank, the fluid recovery tank is typically removed from the cleaning device, and then disposed of by dumping the contents of same into a suitable drain.
It is well known by those skilled in the art that the amount of floor covering that can be effectively cleaned by devices such as this is quite limited, and is typically constrained by the volume of the fluid dispensing tank. Moreover, the usefulness of these devices is sometimes limited inasmuch as that these devices are often used in areas where there is not a convenient source of hot water for refilling the fluid dispensing tank. Further, it is well known that the time necessary to fill the dispensing tank as well as dispose of the contents of the fluid recovery tank may be significant. Further, the typical prior art fluid pressure, which is provided to applicator devices employed with these devices is typically, relatively low. These prior art fluid pressures are, as a general matter, not useful for cleaning hard surfaces such as tile, and the like that may have ground in dirt, and other debris, which is often difficult to remove at these low fluid pressures.
Therefore, a cleaning apparatus which addresses the various shortcomings attendant with the prior art cleaning devices which have been utilized heretofore is the subject matter of the present application.